This 4th of July, we decided to head back to Sea Island, something we haven’t done since the kids were little. It didn’t take long to remember why we usually stick to the cooler mountains—the heat down there had us all melting! I’m not cut out for that kind of heat, but we still had a great time hanging out with the cousins. With my brother, his kids, and my sister’s family all there, it was non-stop fun. After that, we escaped to the mountains for the rest of July, and the weather was absolute perfection. If you haven’t seen it yet, I finally put together a guide to Cashiers and Highlands with my favorite spots for food, shopping, and places to stay.

If you missed it, check out our Switzerland and Vienna itinerary from our end-of-summer travels. I’m still amazed that I packed everything in a carry-on—scroll to the bottom of that post for all the shopping links. Packing like that would be so much harder in the fall and winter with bulkier clothes. I’m still in disbelief that we traveled all the way to Vienna, Austria, with three kids, only for the Taylor Swift concert to be canceled. It was such a strange experience, but despite the disappointment, the city had this magical vibe, with Swifties everywhere trading bracelets and spreading joy.